Sailing Equipment and History

Sailing is the art of moving a boat by harnessing the power of wind. Mastery over ever-changing conditions requires both great skill and experience.

America’s Cup

International yacht racing began in 1851 when a syndicate of members of the New York Yacht Club built a 101-foot schooner named America. The yacht was sailed to England where it won a trophy called the Hundred Guineas Cup in a race around the Isle of Wight. The trophy was renamed The America's Cup and remained in the hands of the United States until 1983, when an Australian yacht finally brought to an end the New York Yacht Club’s 132-year winning streak.

Evolving design

Sailing was first contested as an Olympic sport at the 1900 Paris Games. Since then, the classes of boats allowed to compete have continually evolved to reflect advances in yacht design and technology. Equipment advances over the past 20 years have created a trend towards smaller and lighter craft, placing ever greater demands on both the athletic and technical capacities of the sailors.

Class rules

The sport is organised under a single set of rules for racing published by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF). Olympic racing is now conducted with boats categorised into one-design classes based on similar weights and measurements.

Fleet racing and match racing

Races are sailed in what is known as a fleet racing format: fleets of equally-matched boats racing around the same course area at the same time. Courses are designed to incorporate a variety of different sailing angles: upwind, downwind and reaching.A new feature for the 2012 Games is the introduction of a match racing event for women: a head-to-head contest of strategy and tactics between teams on two identical boats.

Glossary

AbandonA ruling by the Race Committee or jury to void a race, although it may be sailed again later.

Bear awayTo alter course away from the wind.

BeatTo sail towards an objective upwind following a zig zag course approx 45 degrees from the wind direction (it is impossible to sail directly into the wind!).

BFDMeaning “disqualification under black flag rule”, the ruling when a boat is disqualified from a race and awarded the maximum number of points.

Black Flag RuleIf the black flag is displayed no of the boat shall enter the triangle formed by the ends of the start line and the first mark during the minute before the starting signal. If a boat breaks this rule it will be disqualified from the race and scored BFD.

BuoyA rounding mark that floats on the water, denoting the required course.

CapsizeWhen a boat overturns

CourseTo complete the course, a boat must cross the starting line, complete a set number of legs and cross the finishing line. In the Olympic Games, either Trapezoidal or Windward-Leeward courses are used.

DNCMeaning "did not compete", the ruling when a boat fails to compete in a scheduled race and is awarded the maximum number of points for the race.

DNEMeaning "disqualification not excludable", the ruling when the jury disqualifies a boat from a race and awards the maximum number of points for the race, points which may not be excluded from the overall score later.

DNFMeaning "did not finish", the ruling when a boat fails to finish a race and is awarded the maximum number of points for the race.

DNSMeaning "did not start", the ruling when a competing boat fails to start a race and is awarded the maximum number of points for that race.

DownwindThe direction to which the wind blows.

DSQMeaning "disqualified", the ruling when the jury disqualifies a boat from a race and awards the maximum number of points for the race.

ExcludeAfter five races of the “Opening Series” each boat may exclude one race from its points total.

Fleet racingA style of race where all the competitors sail against each other at once, this form of sailing is used at 9 out of 10 events on the 2012 Olympic programme.

GateTwo buoys that define the endpoint of a leg of a race, with the boat able to round either buoy

GybeTo shift the mainsail from one side to the other when sailing with the wind behind, also “jibe".

HeelTo lean over to one side

Hike OutWhen a competitor leans out to windward to balance the force of the wind.

Jurymade up of International Judges who sit on a protest committee at events and responsible for deciding disputes.

Match racingOne-on-one racing between two boats, a component of the programme for the Soling class at the Olympic Games from 1992-2000 and re-introduced for the women's keelboat event using the Elliott 6m in 2012.

MeasurersResponsible for ensuring equipment used at events complies with the relevant Class Rules and the ISAF Equipment Rules of Sailing.

Medal RaceThe final race of each event for the top ten boats from the “Opening Series”. Each boat scores double the number of points to their finishing position and cannot exclude this result.

OCSMeaning "on course side", a ruling where a boat is deemed to have started a race prematurely and is subsequently disqualified from the race and awarded the maximum number of points.

OpenA style of competition in which both men and women may enter.

Opening SeriesA ten-race series (15 races for the 49er) in which each boat scores an equal number of points to their finishing position. The top ten boats (after one race is excluded) at the end of the Opening Series progress to the “Medal Race”.

PortA boat''s left side when looking forward.

Port TackWhen the wind is coming from the left side when looking forward

Pre-start manoeuvresTactical manoeuvres in the water carried out with the intention of being in the best possible position for the starting signal.

Race committeeThe on-water officials responsible for setting the course and starting and finishing the race in accordance with the race rules and regulations.

RDGMeaning "redress", a ruling where the jury reinstates or changes a boat''s score for a particular race, based on a protest hearing.

ReachTo sail across the wind, or between the extremes of beat and run.

Spreader MarkAn additional buoy, positioned near the mark at the end of an upwind leg, designed to spread the turning circle of the competing boats. Only used for the Tornado class.

StarboardA boat''s right side when looking forward.

Starboard TackWhen the wind is blowing from the right hand side when looking forward

TackThe position of the front of a boat with respect to the wind – if a boat is on “starboard tack” the wind is blowing from the starboard (right) side of the boat and on “port tack” the wind is blowing from the port (left) side of the boat. Also to turn the front of the boat through the wind so that the sails change sides and the boat is on the other ‘tack’ (port or starboard).